Original photos taken by the children of the Hickmann Wichi community. See the world through their eyes from the Wichi/H20 project of Cloudhead Art Foundation.

Inauguration August 1, 2011 at 7pm

Exhibition runs from August 1-13, 2011 at the Casa de la Cultura, Sala Mecano in Salta, Argentina.

Bear with me for a moment while I gush. The photos are really incredible. From photos of pigs lounging by the cooking fire to squash picking to preparing dinner in huge metal pots over a fire, the photos tell the story of their lives. They show how these children live and what they love to do.

One boy named Javier has already developed his own style. I always know it's his photo because whether he's out exploring drain pipes or walking across dry cracked earth, his bare foot peeks into the right side of the photo.

What we're trying to create here is art. When people buy these photos -- be it originals, reworked through photoshop or on t-shirts -- they buy them because they love the photo and not simply out of kindness.

Even better, when you buy one of these photos, all profits go toward fruit trees, goats and gardening tools, so the photographer and the members of his community move one step away from dying of malnutrition and one step closer to supporting themselves through sustainable means.

Thank Yous & Appreciation To:

Casa de la Cultura who is hosting the event. Corralon America who has graciously donated wood for mounting the photos and to Maximilliano Mura of Mura Fotografia for organizing the exhibition.

July 11, 2011

My 7 Links is sort of like a Best Of post, but with a twist. Instead of measuring by number of hits, Tripbase asks each of us to evaluate our blogs based on 7 different criteria. Kind of a Yom Kippur for bloggers, if you will.

This comes at a particularly perfect time as I’m in the process of moving my blog over –- finally – to Wordpress and have been going through all my posts to decide which I want to keep and which will be left to seep into the dark and forgotten corners of cyberspace.

Most Popular Post

This one was easy to choose. This post has by far received the most hits, the most links in and the most e-mail. It's been featured on AOL twice, MSNBC and other places I don't even remember.

I do remember, though, exactly where I was when I wrote it. Sitting in Cafe Victoria on Plaza 9 de Julio, the main square in Salta just a few weeks after we arrived. At that point, I had no idea we would still be here three years later.

Most Controversial Post

Almost immediately after hitting publish on this post, I began to receive nasty and usually anonymous e-mails about how I'm not a good American and have betrayed my country. Then I watched as my blog subscriptions dropped more in one week than in the rest of the five years I've been blogging.

I don't believe myself to be unpatriotic simply because I'm willing to be honest about a very ugly part of American history. I believe it is only through that honesty that we can become a better, more inclusive nation. Anyone who can't handle it? Too bad.

Most Helpful Post

My choice for this category was a toss up between this one and a post giving the nitty gritty, boring details of renewing your tourist visa in Salta. I ultimately chose How To Avoid Scams, because it has a more widespread usefulness. While the scam I encountered was in Buenos Aires, the methods to avoid, handle in the moment and report afterwards are universal.

Post That Surprised Me With Its Success Most

This was my first post to go viral. I published one night before ped, and the next morning when I saw my hits were about 1000 times what they normally were for the early morning, I was surprised.

This, too, was shortly after I began writing posts for people other than family or friends, and I was just beginning to get a feel for what worked and what didn't. While I can't say I have mastered the art of making posts go global, seeing the response to My Birthday Challenge taught me much.

Most Beautiful Post

This post always gets me. I think because when I read it I remember being at Lenox Mall so clearly and being overwhelmed with conflicting emotions of being overjoyed to be home while simultaneously and with equal force wanting to return to the beach and the freedom of travel.

It's a feeling all travelers know well, but it's not so easy to capture and explain. I think this post does both.

This post was also featured at the TBEX 2010 convention in New York City. I couldn't be there in person, so I'm glad a little piece of my writing could represent for me.

Post That Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved

When a family member, pet or human, dies, once we get over the initial shock, we parents soon realize our kids are going to have questions. How does one explain death to a child? How are we supposed to encapsulate and clearly transmit information about something that, quite frankly, adults don't understand either?

When we talked to Lila that day in August, she made it easy. She asked the questions, and she was content to accept that sometimes Mommy and Daddy don't have the answers either.

This post didn't have much readership, though. I think in part because, well, I didn't have much readership. But it's also because it is so difficult to talk about death. So often, we hide it, push it away, cover death in metaphor in an attempt to avoid our own discomfort with not knowing.

Dan from Uncornered Market cited Unspoken Patagonia as his choice for Didn't Get the Attention. I think it didn't for similar reasons. We simply don't really know how to talk about death and the injustice that often comes with it.

Post Of Which I Am Most Proud

The way I describe her on this day a bit over two years ago is no longer an adequate portrayal of my daughter. Now, she rides horses. She can swim. She reminds me every morning to take my multivitamin and even brings it to me with a glass of water. She still loves art and music. She's still very much attached to us, but has lost her fear of going places without us.

I am proud of this post, because I am proud of LIla.

*******

Now that I've finished my 7 links, it's time to tag five more blogs. All are from people whose blogs I read and opinions I respect.

First, Juliane Huang who knows the best place to find sandwiches in NYC and writes from her own twisted and wonderful view of the world.

I had a chance to get to know Aracely and Jason of Two Backpackers when they spent some time with us in Salta. The writing is funny, poignant, interesting, but don't forget to check their videos, too.

Paul Sullivan of Slow Travel Berlin, crazy funny English guy who knows how to take a photo.

I met Susanna Donato in college. She writes the Cheap Like Me Blog where you'll find endless ways to save money and the environment.

And I know the rules say five, but there's one more person I have to add. Hal Amen from Wayworded. His recent photos of roads traveled, landscapes (including the South Dakota Badlands which hold a special significance for me) just got me.